I recently had an old fuel line go seriously bad so i replaced both hoses. Since that time my car will not start as soon as i turn the key. If i let the car sit overnight it may take 10-15 seconds (earlier today it took 1 minute) before the engine will catch and start. If the car has just been driven it seems to start in 3-5 seconds, sometimes immediately. I never had an issue cranking this car no matter how many days/weeks/months it sat between uses. A guy at advanced autoparts checked my battery and alternator. Both gave off like new readings. The advanced auto guy suggested that it may be the fuel pump not sending fuel to my engine. Once the car is turned on there are zero issues. At all speeds I feel my car take off when I give it a little or a lot of gas.

Can anyone suggest something I should trouble shoot for an issue like this?

clamdiver

02-10-2011 07:20 PM

recheck the hose fittings. maybe try a check valve and see if that helps???

downhiller

02-10-2011 09:13 PM

sounds like there might be a slight leak and the fuel returns to the tank when sitting. the length of start times depends on how much fuel gets pulled back to the tank. there was a guy one here that sold check valve kits. cant remember him thou

snookay

02-16-2011 06:41 PM

I'm going to remove and tighten the lines again first. Can someone confirm whether or not the fact that "At all speeds I feel my car take off when I give it a little or a lot of gas" means that I do not need a fuel pump?

I'm going to remove and tighten the lines again first. Can someone confirm whether or not the fact that "At all speeds I feel my car take off when I give it a little or a lot of gas" means that I do not need a fuel pump?

lets talk electrical motors real quick. most of the time, when good, they start right up and run like they should. when they start becoming old and worn, they might take a bit to start but run just fine after a few moments.

a way to test this, connect a VOM meter inline with the positive wire at the fuel pump. turn the VOM to amps. when you start the car, it should pull the highest amount of amps within a couple seconds, so the reading will jump around alot at first, then lower down to a few amps and sit. if its going bad, then amp draw will stay high then start goin down slowly.

tim96

02-21-2011 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snookay
(Post 5853822)

I'm going to remove and tighten the lines again first. Can someone confirm whether or not the fact that "At all speeds I feel my car take off when I give it a little or a lot of gas" means that I do not need a fuel pump?

yeap as downhiller said, you cant rule it out just because it runs fine while driving, this was actually exactly what happened with my last car. Has the pump being noisy?

jwrape

10-10-2012 07:39 AM

My Z3M has started doing the same thing. When we first bought it, it would ALWAYS take 3 times of spinning it over before it would run.

Just recently it is starting to take 14 seperate spin overs before it starts.

:dunno:

Could mine be that Cold Start Valve?

I have already replaced the fuel pump due to the gas gauge not working. I am about to replace the fuel filter although I don't think that's it cause the car runs great after it starts

BMWFatherFigure

10-10-2012 06:07 PM

Cold start injector; fuel pressure; fuel pump; fuel filter; pressure regulator. I don't see this as an electrical/CPS type problem. Could a small part of the old hose found its way into the injector rail? Just a thought.

fordent

10-10-2012 06:14 PM

Bad fuel sensor

See my post labeled "out of gas i had a sensor reporting the wrong level of gas and ended up running out of gas. After that i had difficulty starting the car took a few cranks in most cases. I believe you get air in the lines and it takes a while to get that worked out of the system.

Fordent

Nick323

10-11-2012 01:57 AM

How to break your fuel pump in 1 easy step

Problem is when you run out of fuel, you suck all the gunk in your tank into your fuel pump :eek:
I get a lot of cars in that have a fuel pump destroyed by grit or air lock.
Some cars have a in tank fuel pump that is cooled by the fuel. No fuel no cooling & :mad:

jwrape

10-11-2012 05:34 AM

I haven't run it out of gas and I DID just put a new fuel pump assembly in the car, but I do have a new fuel filter coming in the mail as well as new Crankshaft Position Sensor. The Cold Start Valve will be the next thing I replace if these two things do not fix it. :thumbup:

BMWFatherFigure

10-12-2012 08:27 PM

Pressure check on fuel rail.

BMWEnthus

10-12-2012 09:04 PM

Where is the cold start valve located?

This captain goes down with the ship

BMWEnthus

10-12-2012 09:08 PM

Does the pump have a fuel sock on it? It like a preliminary filter ive seen them on old chevy they help when you run low and block any particles id say 1/50th of an inch if that from getting through and then had the primary at the carb do these have them?

This captain goes down with the ship

BMWFatherFigure

10-12-2012 09:33 PM

Cold start injector usually in center square bit of inlet manifold. While you are at it get ALL injectors rig cleaned and tested. Air in system should be flowed out fairly fast by circulating fuel and end up in the gas (petrol) tank.

jwrape

10-13-2012 04:06 AM

Last night I changed the fuel filter and the Crankshaft postion sensor.
This morning I drove it to work but the true test will be after I go back out to the car and see how it starts.

This morning it took 3 attempts to start it. I don't know if that was due to air in the fuel lines or what. This afternoon will give me a better baseline.

downhiller

10-13-2012 10:30 AM

you may have a leak within the fuel system to where the fuel is bleeding back to the tank

jwrape

10-13-2012 10:33 AM

It doesn't seem to be leaking unless it's going into the tank. I am still getting 24mpg on the highway. That seems too good if it was leaking. Is there a check valve that can leak back into the tank?

downhiller

10-13-2012 10:44 AM

unless theres an internal check valve in the fuel pump, id have to say no. but i dont know the z3m very well

jwrape

10-14-2012 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by downhiller
(Post 7131679)

unless theres an internal check valve in the fuel pump, id have to say no. but i dont know the z3m very well

No, there isn't I just changed mine and it's a normal everyday fuel pump. Very simple pump.

Today i put a fuel pressure gauge on the fuel rail and while just sitting it's 20psi, when cranking it's over 40psi. Seems that the fuel rail is getting plenty of fuel.

This leads me to something in the ignition not wanting to work all the time. :mad:

It is starting to take more and more turn overs before it runs now.

Sometimes it seems as if it won't run and I keep trying and it finally does start and runs perfect. Something is going bad and being erratic. The car is extremely moody now

downhiller

10-14-2012 03:50 PM

should be higher then 20psi. should be more around 30. you may have a bad fpr or the vacuum line has a leak in it

BMWFatherFigure

10-14-2012 09:35 PM

+1 fuel rail should hold better than 20psi. That is a likely cause of the bad start - waiting for fuel pressure to build up.

jwrape

10-15-2012 07:03 PM

The pressure goes up instantly when the key is turned, but the motor can turn over 20+ times or more and it won't start. It's getting fuel because after it starts you can smell it run rich for a few seconds.

Something is prohibiting it from sparking or something. What do you guys think of the EWS or the DME prohibiting it from starting until I cycle the key enough to trick it on.

THE EWS does not seem to work because the key fob doesn't work. Do these go bad? I haven't been able to get the key fob to work even with a new battery and the little light comes on .

Any more ideas electrically and not Fuel related. I am sure I have fuel delivered.

MINI+BMWtek

10-15-2012 07:30 PM

rest fuel pressure should be at least 50PSI for a couple minutes what engine? you check battery?
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